Scholarship contest pushes awareness of the First Amendment

Students across the U.S. can use their texting skills to do more than entertain their friends, share funny photos or gripe about the world around them. Students ages 14 or up who attend a high school, community college or university can exercise their freedom of speech while entering for a chance at one of five $5,000 scholarships in the Free to Tweet competition.

Free to Tweet is an initiative funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and organized by 1 for All, which promotes understanding of the First Amendment. 1 for All was founded by the First Amendment Center, Newseum, American Society of News Editors, amd the McCormick Foundation.

Free to Tweet aims to celebrate the First Amendment while making students aware of their rights to free speech. “This year, we’re encouraging students nationwide to think about our most fundamental liberties and tweet about the First Amendment freedom that means the most to them” using the hashtag FreetoTweet, said Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center and founder of the campaign. By using the social media site Twitter as an integral part of the competition, 1 for All aims to merge traditional civil liberties with the modern age of communication.

Tweets can be made between 12 a.m. Dec. 1 through 11:59 p.m. Dec. 15 and must include #FreetoTweet in the message. For an example of what Twitter users had to say as part of the competition in 2011, click here.

More than 17,000 people participated in last year’s compeition and the effort has gained support from numerous high-profile people, from President Barack Obama to singer Ke$ha and Blake Shelton.

The scholarship winners will be chosen from a panel that includes educators and experts on the First Amendment. For a complete set of rules on the competition, visit www.freetotweet.org